TravelStream™ news feed for member fredchristman on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/fredchristman en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Fri, 23 Jan 2009 22:06:35 -0500 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/fredchristman/3/1232761020/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/fredchristman/3/1232761020/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/fredchristman/3/1232761020/tpod.html Fri, 23 Jan 2009 22:06:35 -0500 Chicama

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Chicama, Peru

I remember Chicama summers from the late 1960s to the early 1970s when only diehard Peruvian surfers knew of its existence. I'm happy to see that Hombre has done so well for himself. He owns his own hotel today. Back then, there were no hotels in town and Hombre was just a poor man like all the others in Chicama of that era.

The homes in town did not have electricity, running water nor toilets. Relieving oneself required a short walk out of town to the community crapping area. Hombre always welcomed surfers and he let us sleep for free in one of the dirt-floor rooms behind the kitchen in his simple home. In exchange, we'd buy our meals from him in what he called his restaurant. The "restaurant" was, back then, a small dirt-floor room with two tables. The room was lit by candles.

40 years ago, this was all that Hombre owned.


]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/fredchristman/spain/1135404480/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/fredchristman/spain/1135404480/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/fredchristman/spain/1135404480/tpod.html Thu, 07 Aug 2008 20:27:04 -0400 Medieval Spain

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Madrid, Spain











We will enjoy our last elegant dining experience together at one of several possibilities. Perhaps Casa Lucio, among the king of Spain's favorite restaurants. Or perhaps at one of the world's most famous restaurants, Sobrino de Botin. Botin is the oldest restaurant in the world (1725) and the final scene of Ernest Hemmingway's Pulitzer Prize winning novel, The Sun Also Rises.



After dinner we can stroll the narrow streets of Madrid at night.










Maybe stop for a glass of wine at Los Gabrieles, historically the favorite bohemian night spot of Spain's most famous poets, authors, bullfighters, gypsies, and artists. Spain's most beloved bullfighter, Manolete, was a regular at Los Gabrieles. The head of Islero, the bull that killed Manolete in 1947, still hangs on the wall above a small shrine built in his memory.





We might explore the romantic 12th century cobblestone street, Cava de San Miguel, lined with "Mesons de Cueva," (cave clubs) where local flamenco singers and flamenco guitarists gather late into the night for spontaneous gypsy music and song.






The following day our chauffeur meets us at our hotel to take us to Barajas Airport for our late morning flight home.

We fly back to the US with our photos and our enduring memories of this exciting, passionate and colorful land. The adventure of a lifetime.


To view a short video of the sites we will enjoy Click HERE
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/fredchristman/spain/1135134180/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/fredchristman/spain/1135134180/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/fredchristman/spain/1135134180/tpod.html Thu, 07 Aug 2008 20:22:59 -0400 Medieval Spain

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Ronda, Spain




We'll explore Ronda's Roman baths, ancient homes, historic monasteries, quiet plazas, fountains, shops, sidewalk cafés, cliff dwellings and winding stone streets.












We'll feast on a three-course dinner with desserts and delightful Spanish wines at one of the many restaurants built atop the steep rim of Ronda's spectacular cliffs.









Those with a flair for fun and adventure might rent horses.










Or perhaps challenge Spain's most famous and impenetrable defensive citadel by hiking down the gorge to find the herds of sheep and goats grazing near the 1st Century Roman Baths at the base of the cliff.









We say goodbye to this charming "pueblo blanco" and continue our mountain adventures through Spain's most picturesque white-washed villages.





Our destination is the exciting city of Sevilla, home of the famous lover Don Juan, and the setting for the operas Carmen, and Don Giovanni. Sevilla is Spain's most colorful & passionate city.

(Continued....)Click Next Entry Below
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/fredchristman/spain/1118795400/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/fredchristman/spain/1118795400/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/fredchristman/spain/1118795400/tpod.html Thu, 07 Aug 2008 20:12:17 -0400 Medieval Spain

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Madrid, Spain

Our adventure begins as our chauffeur is waiting at the airport to escort us to our hotel.  Our introduction to Spain will be simple accommodations in the 15th Century center of Old Madrid. We will enjoy the warmth and hospitality of a simple, charming, family owned hosteria located in the heart of Madrid's most historic area of ancient plazas, narrow stone streets and colorful restaurants. We will explore Madrid's sunny flea markets, plazas, sidewalk cafés and delightful shops.





Our hotel is located near Plaza Santa Ana, famous for its endless variety of bars, cafés and restaurants where every style of culinary thrill can be found, from delicious simple budget meals to Spain's most exciting regional dishes. (Click on any photo for a larger view)




From our hotel it is a short walk to three of the world's most famous art museums, Reina Sofia, Thyssen-Bornemisza, and El Prado.


Our hotel is at the center of the most ideal location in all of Old Madrid.  From our hotel it is only a few steps to Madrid's most historic plazas and restaurants.  Spain's most famous flamenco bars, Cardamomo and Los Gabrieles are right outside our front door.  Madrid's most picturesque bistros are around the corner.



We will take a special bus tour of the historic sites in Madrid with English speaking commentary. Our visit to Madrid would not be complete without a visit to one of the world's most opulent royal palaces, the Palacio Real.

Our adventure continues as we arrive in the colorful town of Toledo. Toledo is Spain's most timeless city. The entire town is preserved as a Spanish National Monument, an eternal treasure virtually unchanged since the 13th Century. Our hotel is a charming, family-owned "hosteria" conveniently located in the heart of Toledo. We'll spend two days and two nights in this ancient Medieval town of historic churches, mosques, synagogues, monasteries, noble houses, plazas, shops, cafes, narrow stone streets and humble homes.



We'll visit the 16th century home of Spain's most celebrated painter, El Greco, followed by a visit to the Church of Santo Tomé to stand in awe before Spain's most valued artistic treasure, El Entierro del Conde de Orgáz, considered one of the three "must see" paintings in the world. We will explore the Cathedral of Toledo, one of the most opulent, jaw-dropping wonders in the entire world. For almost 300 years Europe's finest craftsmen, architects and artists devoted their life and genius to the creation of this most astonishing masterpiece in the Catholic world.

An exquisite 8-course feast at Toledo's finest Castilian restaurant, Catavinos ("Wine Taster") where the 24 Euro "Tasting Menu" is much too large a meal for two. Plan on sharing this festive banquet among three or four hungry friends.

You might sample partridge salad, Valencia peppers stuffed with wild rabbit, venison and veal meatballs, suckling lamb, baked fruit toledana, stewed goat andalúz, grilled Mediterranean prawns in corvina sauce, sautéed vegetables, Manchego sheep cheese, Iberian ham, endless servings of home-baked Andalucian breads, Tiramisu ice cream fried in Cognac among the many dessert choices.

Plan on spending at least two hours savoring the many flavors of this culinary masterpiece. Your meal includes all the finest Spanish wine you can drink.


Our adventure into the soul of Spain continues as our chauffeur welcomes us aboard our private "Ventana Larga" (Big Window) bus







to take us over rolling roads through hills, and windmills to the 8th Century Islamic city of Córdoba, home of the Medieval world's largest and holiest mosque.

(Continued...) Click Next Entry Below
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/fredchristman/spain/1135312800/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/fredchristman/spain/1135312800/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/fredchristman/spain/1135312800/tpod.html Thu, 07 Aug 2008 19:35:19 -0400 Medieval Spain

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Madrid, Spain and Canary Islands

After three exciting days in Sevilla we board the "Bullet Train" for our two-hour, 250 kilometer per hour ride to Madrid.












Our hotel will be another simple, family owned enchanting "hosteria" in the heart of Old Madrid.









We will explore Madrid's colorful Old World markets,










plazas, parks, sidewalk cafés and colorful streets.











Stroll Madrid's oldest town square, Plaza Mayor, where the artists gather to capture the colors of the day in oils, temperas and pastels.








Serenaded by street musicians as we have drinks outdoors on the Plaza at night.




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]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/fredchristman/spain/1135222620/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/fredchristman/spain/1135222620/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/fredchristman/spain/1135222620/tpod.html Thu, 07 Aug 2008 19:33:45 -0400 Medieval Spain

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Sevilla, Spain

Spain's most celebrated poet, Garcia Lorca, said, "If you only have time to visit one place in all of Spain make it Sevilla." Sevilla has a little of everything Spain has to offer.


Sevilla's magnificent Cathedral is the largest Gothic building in the world and the burial place of Christopher Columbus.









We'll sample some of Spain's finest Old World recipes at El Rinconcillo, the oldest bar in Spain. One bite of their incomparable Solomillo and you will understand why this recipe has not changed since 1670. Cost: about $2.75.








A night of intensely passionate flamenco music at one of Spain's most exciting gypsy clubs.










Perhaps we'll go to my favorite bar in the world, La Carboneria, to join the locals for a night of spontaneous guitar, song and dance.









Have lunch at a sidewalk café













Stroll through the charming 15th Century streets,













colorfully tiled plazas,











simple homes,








..... palaces.....













... and busy street corners



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Malaga, Spain

We say a grateful goodbye to the enchanting city of Granada as our private chauffeur takes us on a breathtaking journey through the colorful 10,000 foot peaks of the Sierra Nevada Mountains to the sun-baked Mediterranean resort of Nerja. A simple, aimless, lazy day to stroll, swim, relax and delight in the local color.




We will savor a lavish three-course dinner with local wines and an exciting variety of colorful regional desserts at a small, charming restaurant on the beach. The following day our chauffeur takes us on a breathtaking tour of the emerald Mediterranean coast and then inland through the magnificent mountain scenery of Spain's highest Serrania peaks to the cliff-top town of Ronda where we will spend the next two relaxing days.



Ronda is the most spectacular "pueblo blanco" (white-washed village) in all of Spain. Ronda is also one of the oldest towns in the world. It's dizzying, steep perch was inhabited before the books of the Old Testament were written.


(Continued....)Click Next Entry Below
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/fredchristman/spain/1119048300/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/fredchristman/spain/1119048300/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/fredchristman/spain/1119048300/tpod.html Thu, 07 Aug 2008 19:27:51 -0400 Medieval Spain

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Córdoba, Andalusia, Spain and Canary Islands

Abandoned when the Arabian Sultans were driven out of Spain in the 15th century, the preserved Great Mosque of Córdoba, remains one of the most beautiful and hauntingly spiritual jewels on earth.








We will enjoy a day and a night in this UNESCO World Heritage city exploring the Great Mosque, and the beautifully preserved Juderia quarter with it's shops, cafés, narrow streets, ancient homes and quiet courtyards.









Our hotel is another small, humble family owned "hosteria" with the typical Spanish simple charm of tiled floors, flowered halls and marble arches.


(Continued....)Click Next Entry Below
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/fredchristman/spain/1119050040/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/fredchristman/spain/1119050040/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/fredchristman/spain/1119050040/tpod.html Thu, 07 Aug 2008 19:22:40 -0400 Medieval Spain

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Granada, Spain

The following day our private chauffeur takes us to Medieval Spain's most exciting and beautiful mountain town. Granada is one of my favorite towns in the world and home to the most spectacular site in all of Spain, the Alhambra Palace. Nothing can prepare one for this sensual experience. There is nothing like it anywhere else on earth. The Alhambra was built to be the ideal of a heavenly paradise on earth.



More than just a palace; the Alhambra is like a small city with vast gardens, plazas, homes and winding streets covering the rolling expanses of the steep peaks overlooking the town of Granada below, with spectacular views of the surrounding 10,000 ft. Sierra Nevada mountains. Two days in the steep hills of Granada will allow us plenty of time to explore the vast expanses of the majestic, mountain-top Alhambra Palace





the stone streets winding through the hills,











relaxing, sunny outdoor cafés of the very high mountaintop 9th century Moorish quarter











and the quiet streets of the Sacromonte (Sacred Mountain) gypsy neighborhood.










Moroccan bazaars and Tunisian tea houses.










Perhaps you'll treat yourself to a quiet hot spa and massage at the 14th Century Royal Arabic Baths, followed by an exciting late night of passionate flamenco dancing in one of the gypsy caves atop the high precipice of Granada's steep sacred mountain.


"Tapeando" (appetizer-hopping) at the charming bistros, cafés and tasquinas in the medieval stone streets of the colorful Mudejar quarter.

(Continued....)Click Next Entry Below
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/fredchristman/wilderness_2007/1187010000/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/fredchristman/wilderness_2007/1187010000/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/fredchristman/wilderness_2007/1187010000/tpod.html Fri, 16 Mar 2007 21:01:43 -0400 A full week of wilderness adventures in Maine

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Millinocket, Maine, United States

Monday morning we meet our rafting guide for our training in whitewater paddling. Our guide will teach us how to direct our raft toward the best bumps and splashes as we maneuver through the rapids. There is not much to learn. The skills are really quite simple. You will learn to paddle to the guide's instructions as he shouts, "All Hard" or "Left Side Hard" or "Break Right".

After our lessons we position our raft on the shore at the base of Repogenus Dam. The floodgates open, a wall of water rushes into the gorge and once the initial tidal wave turns into a steady stream we launch our raft from the beach into one of the world's most exciting whitewater adventures. Our guide will be with us as we raft the famous Repogenus Gorge, with whitewater rated 5 on the international 1-6 scale.









We stop for a rest and a hearty lunch during a break in the action. Our final thrill is an easy and safe rafting drop over "Small Falls" into the Nesowadnehunk Deadwater 6-7 feet below. This is so much fun that, typically, everyone hauls their raft back up above Small Falls to do it again and again.











Our rafting company will have videographers and photographers stationed along the river to record our adventure. You can purchase movies and/or photos of our trip.

We will spend three days in Maine's most picturesque wilderness enjoying the solitude, the Perseids Meteor Shower, the moose, the hiking trails and our meals of lake and brook trout. Those who wish might summit Mt. Katahdin, 5272 feet, Maine's highest peak and the final stop on the Appalachian Trail. In the Penobscot Indian language, the full name of Mt. Katahdin is "Katahdin Mooseluk Meguntacook Chesuncook". Roughly translated this means "Great Mountain at Center of Moose World".










There are smaller summits to enjoy if even from afar without a climb.










Beautiful remote ponds













Moose










And more moose...




(Continued...) Click on Next Entry below.
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